Mary Josephine Hopps

Mary Josephine Hopps, nee Bojnarowicz, was born on July 15, 1925, in Detroit MI, the youngest child of Antoni (Anthony) Bojnarowicz and Antoinette (Anna) Ewaszkewicz. Her parents emigrated from Poland to start a new life in the U.S. As a schoolgirl, she won several handwriting contests, with her beautiful penmanship that was sustained until recent years. After high school, she worked as a legal secretary, using her shorthand skills with great accuracy. As a young woman, she would attend dances with other girlfriends. A young man named Robert Hopps approached her one evening, saying "May I have this dance, ma'am?" This sparked a courtship and marriage in 1948 that lasted 52 years and produced 5 children. She was happy to become a homemaker upon the birth of her first child, devoting herself to care for her family in so many ways. There were many moments of joy, such as watching her legacy develop as marriages and births were in abundance, but also moments of sorrow, especially the loss of Craig, her eldest son, to cancer in 1987, and the sudden death of Robert, her spouse, in 2001. In August 2017, she was the center of a gathering that included all of her children, every one of her 16 grandchildren, many of their spouses or significant others, her two great-granddaughters and an announcement of another great-grandchild-to-be. Her health continued to fail as her heart had only so many beats, and on September 6, 2017, Mary passed quietly and peacefully in her sleep, knowing she was truly loved and held close by many. Mary was funny, sharp and quick-witted, but she was also one to express her gratitude for the simplest of tasks, especially to her caregivers. She was a willing participant in pranks and spoofs, and loved to be part of any gathering, such as beach trips, school and sports activities that included her kids and grandkids. She was able to attend most of the graduations, both high school and college, as well as weddings of her grandchildren, held both great-granddaughters as newborns, endured long trips even in winter for special events and made sure to say "I love you" every time she saw one of her family members. She was preceded in death by her siblings, John, Sophie, Marion and Theodore. She will be carried in the hearts of her surviving children: Barbara, Gary (Maribeth), Rob (Delsa) and Kathy (Tom Grace). Her grandchildren will treasure their memories of times with grandma: Aaron, Zak, Jeremy, Mieka, Alyssa, Hilary, Michael, Marcia, Marc, Patrick, Ariel, Kathleen, Mykaela, Keely, Ainsley, Tommy, great-grandchildren Serenity and Evelyn and a great-grandchild to be. The Funeral Liturgy will take place on Monday, September 11th, 2017 at All Saints Parish- St. James Church at 11:00 a.m. Celebrant will be Rev. Fr. Jose Maria Cabrera with Rite of Committal following at St. Patrick Cemetery. Family and friends may gather at the Gephart Funeral Home, Inc.(989) 686-2291 on Sunday, September 10, 2017 from 1:00 until 9:00 p.m. The Vigil for the Deceased will take place on Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. followed by the Rosary. Mrs. Hopps will be taken to the church on Monday to lie in state from 10:00 a.m. until the time of Mass. In lieu of flowers those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorial contributions to the Craig Hopps Memorial Scholarship Fund, University of Michigan, College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St., Ann Arbor MI 48109